National Bus Tour Stops In Philadelphia For Education Crisis: "The Modern Day Civil Rights Movement"

Aug. 21, 2013 - PRLog -- The "Lifelines To Healing" national bus tour, headed to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, will  stop in Philadelphia tonight to fight for civil rights in our city. The bus tour will join clergy leaders from Philadelphia's largest faith-based community organization group POWERon Thursday August 22, 2013, at 6pm at Mother Bethel AME Church located at 419 South 6th Street, for an Education Forum in support of Philadelphia public schools. “Philadelphia’s Education crisis is the modern day Civil Rights Movement,” says Rev. Mark Tyler, pastor of Mother Bethel, a POWER congregation. “The lack of adequate school funding disproportionately affects low-income communities, and people of color. What’s happening in Philadelphia reminds us that the issues raised by the first March on Washington in 1963, are still with us today.”  Dr. Tyler will be one of the panelists on Thursday along with: Bishop Audrey Bronson, pastor of Sanctuary Church of the Open Door and former President of the Philadelphia Black Clergy; Rev. Albert Herring of the PICO National Network; Rabbi Julie Greenberg of Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir/Heart of the City; Dr. Drick Boyd, Professor of Urban Studies at Eastern University; and Bishop Dwayne Royster, pastor of Living Water United Church of Christ and Executive Director of POWER.  

Thursday’s Education Forum coincides with a national, anti-violence bus tour sponsored byPOWER’s parent organizing group called the “PICO National Network” (www.piconetwork.org). The “Lifelines to Healing” bus tour was launched in direct response to the public outcry that resulted from the unjust killing of Trayvon Martin. Faith leaders from across the country are traveling, by bus, to major cities across the U.S. spreading a message of hope and advocating for policies and resources that can heal the community. The bus tour is scheduled to stop in Philadelphia at Mother Bethel AME Church this Thursday at 6pm to highlight the important role education plays in reversing the cycle of violence. “Opening Philadelphia Public Schools on September 9th without enough resources is setting our children up for failure,” says Bishop Dwayne Royster, Executive Director of POWER.  “Our communitiesneed a focus on schools, not prisons.” POWER organizers are demanding a sustainable funding formula for Philadelphia schools.  

For more information on POWER’s Education Forum at Mother Bethel AME Church this Thursday August 22, 2013, at 6pm, contact POWER at (215) 232-7697 (tel:(215)%20232-7697). All media inquiries should be directed to Leslie Patterson-Tyler of Tyler-Made Productions by calling (609) 247-2632 (tel:(609)%20247-2632) or via email at Leslie@TylerMadePR.com.

 

 About P.O.W.E.R. 

We are Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower & Rebuild (POWER). We are congregations from all across the city, intentionally bringing people together across the lines of race, faith, income level and neighborhood -- lines which have historically kept Philadelphians divided.  We are people of faith committed to the work of bringing about justice here and now, in our city and our region.  By strengthening and mobilizing our networks of relationships, we seek to exercise power in the public arena so that the needs and priorities of all Philadelphians are reflected in the systems and policies that shape our city. For more information go to www.powerphiladelphia.org.

POWER Congregations

1.       Arch Street United Methodist Church                            

2.       Bright Hope Baptist Church

3.       Calvary St. Augustine Episcopal

4.       Calvary United Methodist Church

5.       Chestnut Hill United Church

6.        Congregation Kol Tzedek

7.        Congregation Lev Ha-Ir

8.        Congregation Rodeph Shalom

9.        Cookman Beloved Baptist Church

10.    Epiphany of our Lord Catholic Church

11.    Evangel Chapel

12.    Grace Christian Fellowship

13.    Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church

14.    Harold O Davis Baptist Church

15.    Holy Innocents Catholic Church

16.    Holy Spirit Lutheran Church

17.    Living Water United Church of Christ

18.    Masjidullah, Inc.

19.    Mishkan Shalom Synagogue

20.    Mother Bethel AME Church

21.    New Life Ministry

22.    New Vision UMC

23.    Old 1st Reformed UCC Church

24.    Philadelphia Praise Center

25.    Prince of Peace Lutheran church

26.    Second Baptist Church of Germantown

27.    St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church

28.    St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church

29.    St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal

30.    St. Paul's Baptist Church

31.    St. Peter's Episcopal Church

32.    St. Raymond's Catholic Church

33.    St. Rita's Roman Catholic Church

34.    St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church

35.    St. Therese Catholic Church

36.    St. Therese Roman Catholic Church

37.    St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Church

38.    St. Williams Roman Catholic Church

39.    Sweet Union Baptist Church

40.    West Phila Mennonite Church

41.    Woodcrest United Church of Christ